Aged care debate: are high-rise buildings the answer?

As aged-care providers take up a Brisbane City Council incentives to deliver new facilities, city planning chairman Julian Simmonds has warned there is no "development free for all" and applications will be assessed against strict guidelines, including that of building height.

Another proposed TriCare development at Nathan Avenue, Ashgrove, has also attracted negative feedback from both residents and the council.

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Architect Deicke Richards' design for a proposed TriCare aged-care and retirement facility at Taringa has caused concern among residents.Credit:TriCare

TriCare purchased the Ashgrove site for $5.9 million in July 2015 and originally proposed a six-storey, 214-bed residential care facility for the site.

Ashgrove resident Peter Pforr wrote a submission against the development and said the proposal was two storeys higher than any other building in the area and would have a negative impact on the street scape.

The Hear and Say Centre for hearing impaired children has its head office on the adjoining block and also wrote to the council to object TriCare's proposal.

"While the proposed use of the vacant lot for residential care is an important service, the proposed development, is inconsistent with the expectations of the community," Hear and Say's submission said.

TriCare has proposed an aged-care facility at Ashgrove.Credit:Ruth McCosker

"The proposed excessive scale of the development and its impact on significant vegetation in a sensitive location adjacent an important waterway corridor demonstrates the proposal is a gross overdevelopment in this location.

"The proposed six storeys, in part in excess of 24 metres above ground is equivalent to the height of an eight-storey multiple dwelling development.

"Clearly the scale of an 80-metre long, 24-metre high residential care facility is incongruous with the lower scaled, residential character of the area."

Queensland University of Technology Design Lab director Evonne Miller said high rise aged care facilities could be appropriate in Brisbane's suburbs, as long as they were well designed.

"There's not much option. We look at some of our suburbs, it's either up or nothing," she said.

"I think people deserve the right to age in place, or age in an aged care facility in the neighbourhood of a suburb they grew up in.

"I don't think we should be saying no to high rise just because it's high rise. Now, poorly designed high rise, we should be opposed to that."

Cr Simmonds said any individual can lodge a development application and the council, by law, would assess it according to statutory process, regardless of whether council supported what was proposed.

"Aged care accommodation and retirement living are increasingly important in our city to ensure that we can accommodate our ageing population, however, council has strict guidelines in place and assesses every application against City Plan," he said.

Associate Professor Miller said aged-care high rise should be functional and desirable.

"We don't want sterile design. We want something that's well designed, engaging. High rise doesn't have to be horrible," she said.

"[Aged care development need] amenities that draw people in, whether it's a book shop or community cafe or art and craft centres that are for everybody.

"We've all got that 'not in my backyard' kind of thing.

"That's where the individual developer has to work with the local residents to make sure they're happy with the plan, or as happy as they can be."

TriCare property and planning manager Simon Dwyer said TriCare considered Neighbourhood Plans before they acquired a site.

When Fairfax Media asked TriCare why it submitted development applications for buildings higher than those in the surrounding area, Mr Dwyer said it was not possible to provide for an ageing population in an established suburb without developing multi-storey buildings.

"Brisbane City Council has acknowledged this problem by introducing incentives to encourage more development," he said.

"People have a clear preference to age in the suburbs in which they live.

"But there is a lack of suitable land in established suburbs, many of which are predominantly low rise residential and/or commercial buildings."

Mr Dwyer declined to comment on the scale of the proposed Ashgrove development as it was still under council assessment, but said its height was based on demand in the area.

The council has raised concerns about the scale of the proposed Ashgrove development.

Documents uploaded on to the council website show, since the council raised concern, TriCare has submitted revised plans for 181 beds and a reduction in building height.

Cr Simmonds said the council did not support six storeys at the site as it was out of character with the surrounding low to medium density residential area and what the council had envisaged for the site.

"The height at this site has been a concern for both council and the community and council is currently reviewing revised plans which propose a reduction in height," he said.